150 citizens from across the EU who have been taking part in a unique pan-European debate on how to tackle the economic and social challenges facing Europe are meeting top policy-makers in Brussels to hand over their recommendations at a European Citizens’ Summit.

The event is the culmination of the first phase of the 2009 European Citizens’ Consultations, involving some 250,000 online users and 1,600 randomly selected citizens from all 27 Member States in a large-scale deliberative process designed to produce recommendations for action at the EU level.

These recommendations, currently being voted on by the 1,600 citizens who took part in national debates in all 27 Member States to select their top 15 priorities, include calls for wide-ranging measures to boost Europe’s economy, including tougher supervision of the financial markets, more focused spending on research and innovation, and increased investment in sustainable energy. Other issues raised included the fight against poverty, promoting a better work/life balance, and action on education.

The 150 participants will meet at Palais de la Bourse de Bruxelles, Place de la Bourse, to finalise the top 15 recommendations to be presented to the European leaders the following day.

The second phase of the European Citizens' Consultations will focus on disseminating the results and discussing the citizens’ recommendations with a wider audience, with a particular focus on the MEPs newly elected in June 2009, through a series of regional events which will take place in five countries between September and December 2009.

The European Citizens' Consultations are conducted by a consortium of more than 40 European partner organisations, led by the King Baudouin Foundation (KBF), and co-funded by the European Commission under its “Debate Europe” programme.

Background

ECC 2009 builds on the success of ECC 2007, which established a new model for citizen participation through the first pan-European participatory project to involve citizens from all 27 EU Member States in the debate on the future of Europe. An additional online phase in ECC 2009 has allowed many more European citizens to become involved in the debate, with some 250,000 visiting the national websites set up in each Member State in December 2008.